Device for handling cable reels and the like



June 21,1960 0. R. KEYS 2,941,678

' DEVICE FOR HANDLING CABLE REELS AND THE LIKE Filed May a, 1956 2Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. I

INVENTOR Conrad R. Keys ATTORNEY June 21, 1960 C. R. KEYS 2 Sheets-Sheet2 Filed May 8, 1956 3 3 5 m F & M Wm M a Z a .H a M a fl M p a a.

FIG. 5

INVENTOR Conrad R. Keys ATTORNEY} United States Patent DEVICE FORHANDLING CABLE REELS AND THE LIKE Conrad R. Keys, 702 Ridge St., Newark,NJ.

Filed May 8, 1956, Ser. No. 583,493 7 2 Claims. (Cl. 214-77) Thisinvention relates to improvements in methods and means for manipulatingheavy cable reels.

In my U.S. Patent 2,848,123, dated August 19, 1958, I have shownloading, unloading and transporting equipment for handling heavy powerline cable reels with ease, economy and safety. It is always a problemfor operators to manipulate a cable reel into position in order that theaxis thereof will lie at right angles to the line of unwinding of thecable from the reel. It is a purpose of this invention to provide animproved method and means for manipulating such a reel while in positionupon the ground or other surface in order that the axis thereof may beplaced in right angled position to the line of unwinding of cable fromthe reel.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent duringthe course of the following detailed description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, andwherein similar reference characters designate corresponding partsthroughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle and its hoisting equipment,showing the parts thereof in position supporting a large cable reel soan operator may efiiciently turn the same in order to locate the planethereof in proper position for cable unwinding.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the vehicle shown in Figure l with thereel turned in a plane at right angles to its position shown in Figure 1whereby the cable can be unwound therefrom and extended in the directionin which it is to be laid.

Figure 3 is a perspective of a vehicle and its hoist equipment forlifting, lowering and hauling cable reels, showing a modified form ofmeans for supporting a cable reel so that it may be laterally turnedwith facility to properly locate the plane thereof.

Figure 4 shows a modified form of reel handling and manipulating meansfor use with hoisting equipment of a vehicle.

2 shown in Patent 2,313,514. The boom arms and 16 are located at therear of the vehicle and swing lengthwise of the vehicle for elevatingand lowering loads, such as reels C.

The outer ends of the lift or boom arms 15 and 16 sup port a cross shafthaving rotatably attached thereto a bar sling 21, the ends of which, at22, bear upon the cross bar 20 between the outer ends of the boom arms15 and 16- This bar sling 21 is provided at its ends with Figure 5 is afragmentary view, partly in section, showing a latch or restrainingmember to hold the reel supporting means in proper relation to otherdetails of the vehicle and its hoisting equipment.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration are shownpreferred and modified forms of the invention, the letter A maygenerally designate a 'vehicle having hoisting equipment B mountedthereon-for the lifting and lowering of heavy cable reels C.

The vehicle construction A may include a chassis 10 having running gear11 associated therewith. The'frame of the chassis may support a subframe12 which includes a deck 13 upon which the reels C are adapted to besupported for transportation. The hydraulically operated hoisting andlowering equipment B includes a pair of lift arms 15 and 16 attached bymeans of a pivoted load shaft 17 upon the subframe. The boom arms areactuated by double acting hydraulic piston and cylinder devices 18 of atype which is conventionally used and is series of openings 24 adaptedto receive the upper supporting links or yoke portions 30 of chains 31and 32. A central attaching opening 33 may also be provided between theends of the bar sling 21. Each chain 31 and 32 at its end connected tothe bar sling 21 has a swivel 35, the axis of which is vertical and liesin the line of the chain whereby upon turning of the chain there will beno resultant twisting of the links.

So much of the structure as has been above described is conventional, aswill be noted from my U.S. Patent No. 2,848,123, dated August 19, 1958.

Since the equipment is primarily intended to handle huge reels or drumsof cables coiled thereon, the lift chains 32 at their lower ends areprovided with special links 44 supporting bars 45 which may be referredto as key plates. The key plates 45 are provided with series of spacedvertically elongated openings 46 therealong adapted to receive the endsof a spindle or shaft 47 of the reel C. The spindles 47 are removablefrom the reels. A series of them may be supported at the rear of thesubframe upon suitable brackets 48 where they will be readilyaccessible.

The reels C are provided with axial openings therethrough to receivespindles 37; the latter being sufiiciently long that their ends extendsubstantially beyond the sides of the reel as will be noted from Figure3 and elsewhere.

The steps for loading and unloading a reel C with respect to deck 13 areset forth in my U.S. Patent No. 2,848,123. For a loading operation thebooms are moved rearwardly to lower the key plates 45 at opposite sidesof a reel C and spindle 47 is then inserted through the reel axisopening and the openings in the key plates. Means may be provided tohold the spindle 47 in place in the axial opening of the reel includingsuch elements as friction clamps 60 secured to the projecting ends ofspindle 47 "at the outer sides of the reel and key plates. Movement ofthe boom arms 15 and 16 is under control of the lifting equipment (notshown). It enables the reel C to be lifted upon the deck 13 of thevehicle and secured therein as has been more specifically shown anddescribed in my U.S. Patent No. 2,848,123. The unloading of the reelfrom the vehicle is the exact reverse.

When large and extremely heavy reels of the type shown are unloaded, ina large majority of instances they will be placed upon the street or atsome location, to be used at a later date. For obvious reasons they areplaced so that their axes are at right angles to the curb line orparallel to travel of traffic. It may become necessary,

when the reel is to be used to swing the reel (while in its uprightposition) through an angle of (more or less) in order that the plane ofthe reel will lie parallel to the paying out line of the cable as it isunwound from the reel. The turning manipulation of such reels is notonly laborious but extremely dangerous. Many accidents have resultedbecause of the present day crude means used for the accomplishment ofsuch turning or shifting movements of the reels, which sometimes tiltsthe reel too much, causing it to fall sidewise, or causing it to rollaway, thus endangering the lives and limbs of workers and others.

One mode of turning the reel is shown in Figures 1 and 2 wherein thecable 31 has been disconnected from the spindle 47 at one side of thereel while the other chain 32 is connected upon the other end of spindle47. By lifting the boom: arms 15 and 16 the reel may be tilted, as shownat C, in order that the lower opposite edge formsa. fulcrum point 70'upon which the reel can be turned for laterally swinging the same. Suchturning or swinging may be accomplished by a laborer. 71 who takes apush rod 72 and hooks it or straddles it upon the free end of thespindle 47, at the side where. the fulcrum point 70 is located. Merelyby pushing on rod 72 the operator can swing the reel through an angle of90, more or less. After the reel: has been properly positioned, it maybe rotatably mounted off the ground surfaceup'on con ventional standardsor saw-bucks provided therefor.

As a means of stabilizing the reel, I- rnay take a chain 75, one end ofwhich is provided with a hook 76 for con nection to a link of the chain32. The chain 75 is extended across the top; of the reel and hooked atits oppo' site end 77 over the free end of the axis spindle 47; Theposition to which the reel has been turned by means of the abovedescribed operation is shown in Figure 2.

In the manipulation of the reel C for. the turning movement abovedescribed (as shown in Figures 1 and 2) there will obviously result aneccentric strain upon the lifting equipment B because only one liftchain is used. I have several modifications which will eliminate this.

In Figure 3 is shown lifting and lowering. and transporting equipment,as above described, provided with an elongated load bar 90, which midwaybetween its ends has a swivel 91 upon the bar sling 21. This may be anyconventional swivel, rotatable through 360. The load bar at its ends isprovided with series of openings 24 adapted to receive lift chains 31and 32 each of which is provided with key plates 45 with openings 46*.it is of the construction above described, adapted to receive a spindle47' of a reel C.

The reel C is lifted by the hoist means B completely off the ground,from which position the operator can-turn the reel through an angle of90 (or any desired'angle) to position its plane in the desired relationto the" line of unwindingofthe cable from the reel.

If desired any approved means may be provided to stabilize the positionof the bar sling 21 and the" load bar 90 until the reel is ready forswivelling movement.

As an alternative method of balancing the" load upon the hoistingequipment, I may use a single=lift chain 31 (Figure 4).. It has akeyplate 47 at the lowerend thereof provided withopenings 46 forreceiving an'lend of a spindle 47 of reel C. This lift. chain 31 isprovided at its upper end with a swivel 91 and a load bar con nectinglink 93 which may be connected in the opening 33 of the bar sling 2'1;Lifting of the reel-Cby' means of the chain 31 stabilizesthe load uponthe'hoist equipment and the operation of turning is the same asthatabove described for the form of invention shown inzFig ures 1 and 2.

Figure 5 shows a bar sling 21 and load bar 90"; these two bars beingpivotally connected on a vertical axis at 100' in order that the loadbar 90 may be rotated on such axis. In order to hold'the bar sling andthe load bar in the same plane until the desired time for turning reel;I provide a latchingconstruction consisting of a pivot pin 101, the endsof which are providedwith segmental shaped latches 102. The'lattermay beswung downward on the pivot construction 100 to a stop 103. When thelatches 102 are sWungupwar-dly to the dotted line position inFigure 5,preferably against the stop 104, the load bar'90 may be turned forrelocating the plane of the reel in the manner above described.

It is apparent from the foregoing that an improved methodformanipulation of heavy reels has been provided which is safe and canexpeditiously turn the reel. The device is simple, safe in operation andmanipulation, does not place any appreciable strain upon the operator,and it is not dangerous to operate. The reel can be accurately orientedwith any of the forms of invention shown.

Various changes in the shape, size and" arrangement of parts and in andto the steps of turning the 'reel may be made to the forms of inventionherein shown and described without departing from the spirit of theinvention or scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. In a safety device for efficiently turning and manipulating a weightycable reel, the combination of hoisting means, an elongated flexiblelifting member connected to' the hoisting means and depending therefromand'having a swivel in its upper portion for turningof the memher on avertical axis without twisting, a spindle type axle connected with thelower portion of saidflexible lifting member, and a second elongatedflexible lifting member connected at an end thereof to the firstmentioned elongated flexible lifting member below said swivel and abovethe axle and being adapted to be looped over a reel with its oppositeend connected to said spindle at the opposite side of the reel withrespect to the conmotionof the spindle with said first mentionedelongated lifting member.

2. In a safety device for eficiently lifting and turningand manipulatinga weighty cable reel, the combination of hoisting means, a cable reel, aspindle axially connected through the cable reel having the endsthereofprotruding from opposite sides of the cable reel, anelongated, liftingchain connected to the hoist means at its upper end and at its lower endbeing connected to one projecting end of said spindle, said chain havinga swivel therein above its connection with the spindle which'permitsthe-turningo'f the chain on a vertical axis, asecond chain having meansfor connecting it to the first men-j tioned chain above the cable reeland below the swiveland extending acrossthe top of the cable reel 'andatits lower end being connected to the opposite projecting end ofsaidspindle, said last mentioned end of the spindle projectingappreciably beyond the'cable reel to provide a lever for facile'turningof the reel as the hoistmeans lifts? the cable reel through said firstmentionedchain.

References Cited in the file of this patent uN'rT'ED snares PATENTS600,182 Sparr s- Mar. 8, 18 9 8 609,417 Day Aug. 23 1898 726,325 Milleret a1. Apr; 28, 1903 1,323,575 Brahe Dec. 2, 1919 1,519,243 EricssonDec. 16, 1924 1,524,067 Troutman etal. Jan; 27', 19 25 1,624,320 DemmerApr. 12, 1927 1,864,676 Smith et al. June 28, 1932 2,236,010 Selvig etal. Mar. 25', 1941 2,313,514 Brooks Mar. 9, 1943 689,053 Olson- Sept.14, 1954 2,691,451 Westfall Oct; 12; 1954 2,709,012 Lessard May 24, 1955FOREIGN PATENTS 16,838" Great Britain July 31;, 1903 52,897 Switzerland"-4 July 9, 1910

